The present invention generally software for opening file attachments in an email program, text messaging program, and web-browser program. More specifically the present invention is directed to using trial software for opening file attachments.
Users of computer systems and portable devices often times receive messages though messaging applications with files attached to them. These attachments can be sent by email, by text messaging, or through a web-browser. Typically when a user receives an attachment or file, another program must be invoked to open the attachment. To open an attachment with a program many operating systems such as Linux, Mac OS, and Microsoft Windows use a technique called file association. File association matches a file with an application capable of opening that file. More commonly, a file association associates a class of files, usually determined by their filename extension, such as “.txt”, with a corresponding application, such as a text editor. A single file association may have one or more actions such as open, edit, or print.
More recently, some operating systems, such as Microsoft Windows, first check for the file association information locally. If no local information is available about the file name extension, the operating system offers the user the option of looking for more information online over the Internet. Although this online search can be useful, the search results are limited only to a single site, such as the site provided by the provider of the operating system. Moreover, the search results are limited to one application with no information regarding other free or fee-based alternatives. Further, these options are not presented automatically or in the window as part of the messaging application in which the file attachment has been received.